The present invention relates to on-hold audio capability for business telephone systems, and particularly a connector for connecting an audio source to the business telephone system and thus providing audio input to a caller on hold.
Modern business telephone systems such as a PBX or Key systems have the capability to place a caller on hold, awaiting further disposition, and to play music, a pre-recorded message, an advertisement, or the radio for the caller to listen to while the caller remains on hold. The computer or central processing unit that is operating the business telephone systems is sometimes called a key system unit or KSU. The KSU is generally connected via a group of wires called a twisted pair cable to a telecommunications connecting block. The telecommunications connecting block has several ports each having a pair of contact pegs. The telecommunications connecting block also receives the central office lines or CO lines, and the telecommunications connecting block receives input from an audio source. An incoming call is received from the CO lines into the telecommunications connecting block and is directed by the KSU to a particular phone extension. If the particular extension is not accepting calls for one reason or another, the incoming call is placed xe2x80x9con hold,xe2x80x9d waiting for the destination extension to. become available. While the incoming call is on hold, the KSU relays the input from the audio source to the call on hold, and the caller on hold hears the music or other information provided by the audio source.
The audio source can be any type of audio device such as a CD player, a tape player, or a receiver. Generally, the audio source is purchased separately from the business telephone unit and requires special connection to the telecommunications connecting block and hence to the telephone unit to be functional as a music or audio on hold source.
Prior to the present invention, when a business phone system was installed and the music or other type of audio on hold option was desired, the installation technician had to perform timely stripping and splicing of delicate stranded wires in order to connect the separate audio source with the phone system via the telecommunications connection system. For example, one prior art method of installation of one type of phone system with the audio on hold option required the following steps:
A set of headphones or some other type of audio receiver having a cable terminating in a stereo or mono miniplug, video jack, or other type of audio jack at a first end is acquired. The headphones or other device at the second end of the cable is unnecessary to complete installation and should be cut off, leaving just the miniplug on the first end and exposed wire at the second or a free end. If the cable is a stereo cable, it will have two insulated wires extending from the miniplug. One of these wires may be unnecessary because many phone systems only support mono audio input. In these instances, one of the wires in the cable can be removed. Next, at the free end of the cable, the sheathing is carefully removed so as not to harm the delicate stranded copper wire underneath. Removal of the sheathing reveals two types of internal wire: stranded copper wire and stranded copper wire with sheathing. Next the two sets of internal copper wire are separated, and each wire is meticulously wrapped around one of the pegs from a pair of contact pegs on the telecommunications connecting block that represents the position of the audio source. When wrapping the stripped wires around the each peg in the designated pair on the telecommunications connecting block, if even one of the strands wire from one peg touches the other peg, it may cause the phone system to short resulting in damage to the system and inconvenience to the user, but in any event, such an occurrence will delay completion of the installation.
There are other ways to connect an audio source to a telephone system known in the art; however, each of those alternate ways has its own drawbacks, is just as time consuming, and has the same potential for causing damage and unwanted down time to the telephone system.
When installing a new phone system, it is optimal to have the phone service to the user (usually a company or other type of business) shut down for as little time as possible. The tedious process of connecting the audio source to the phone system is time consuming and slows down the installation process, thereby keeping the user""s phone system down for longer, causing the user to be unhappy and potentially causing loss of business to the user because its customers are unable to reach it.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for an efficient and timely device to connect the phone system to the audio source so that precious down time is limited and the desired functions of the business telephone system are enabled as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
According to an aspect of the invention, a novel connector is disclosed that is designed to fit directly to the output of an audio source and directly to an input of a telecommunications connecting block used with a business phone system without any tedious wire stripping, splicing, or the danger of shorting, and without the need for any special tools. The connector of the present invention speeds the installation process for the phone system, decreasing the time the system and the phones are down, thereby saving time and money in the installation. A further aspect of the invention is that it provides the advantages described above to a system with stereo capability or video capability.